I was just home on vacation recently and noticed that the security guards at Fort did not have magazines in their pistols. Some didn't even have pistols. Just empty holsters. Ganon ba talaga yon?

edtf

07-17-2010, 21:05

Mga kababayan:

I was just home on vacation recently and noticed that the security guards at Fort did not have magazines in their pistols. Some didn't even have pistols. Just empty holsters. Ganon ba talaga yon?

I noticed that too - There were around 2 guards that didn't have any mags - weird :dunno:

casmot

07-17-2010, 22:53

Mga kababayan:

I was just home on vacation recently and noticed that the security guards at Fort did not have magazines in their pistols. Some didn't even have pistols. Just empty holsters. Ganon ba talaga yon?

Only in the Philippines!!!

Having uniformed security personnel is sort of a status symbol here. Depending on what services you contracted with the security agency, your security guards can either be armed or unarmed, with sidearms (38cal or 9mm) or shotgun. Since part of their uniform is a holster, some security agency require their personnel to wear a holster even if they are not armed.

And as a status symbol, some clients request that their security guard be provided with a sidearm but without ammo since it would be extra cost.

Actually, I think its better not to provide them with firearms. Since their FA training and qualification is practically none.

jimbullet

07-18-2010, 05:33

Fort would be Ayala controlled and I think it has been a policy of its security force not to have any weapons on them and so the empty holsters. Only the security office would have the firearms under lock and distributed when necessary.

Apart from the very limited firearms training they get if at all, this also avoids criminal elements targetting security guards to steal their firearms

Vault Keeper

07-18-2010, 09:28

This is the same with Glorietta Malls...been to Glorietta 4 & 5, all guards I see have a 9mm pistol without the magazine...told my wife so she can double check if what I saw was true....diba lalong nakakatakot yon? Katawa-tawa pa sa mga BG!

Most of Ayala's guards are indeed, ex-military. A lot of them come from the Philippine Marines. We got to know a lot of Greenbelt security guards in the '80s. They were former security guards of the late Roberto S. Benedicto of Philsucom and Nasutra. RSB only picked former Army Rangers and Philippine Marines personnel for his security forces.

I would believe that they don't have magazines inserted in their pistols, but have these magazines in their possession.

Reminds me of the Gordon-era SBMA cops, no mags in their FEG Hi-Power copies.

Evan N. Payawal

07-19-2010, 01:01

Yeah, noticed that too in the Ayala guards.

Though since the Roleks holdup, Ayala has mobile security armed with short M16s.

I guess the rationale is, even a lone posted guard won't be able to (and shouldn't try to) fight off teams of robbers like that, with a pistol. Their main function would be to call in the QRF. And each of them do have radios.

Rockwell mall security takes a different approach..sometimes their guard at the door has an AK2000. Though I don't know what his instructions are should half a dozen robbers armed with HPRs suddenly appear at the door. If you think about it, the Ayala security approach (provided by ex Chief PNP Aglipay) seems to make more sense.

E

BrassKnuckle

07-19-2010, 02:50

I asked a guard about that and he said the magazines are not inserted to avoid negligent discharges. From what he told me, that policy took effect after an actual ND by a guard assigned in a subdivision.

Of course, the best approach would have been to train them to handle their guns competently, but budgetary constraints get in the way.

Young Once

07-31-2010, 18:00

The guards at SM beat the Ayala guards, hands down. I was at SM Megamall yesterday and I noticed that the guards had several pieces of ammo on their belt (for .38's) but looked closer at the holsters and lo and behold, no guns! Will probably throw the ammo at the bad guys. Hehehe

jimbullet

08-01-2010, 03:40

The guards at SM beat the Ayala guards, hands down. I was at SM Megamall yesterday and I noticed that the guards had several pieces of ammo on their belt (for .38's) but looked closer at the holsters and lo and behold, no guns! Will probably throw the ammo at the bad guys. Hehehe

The guns are switched between guards at specified mall entry points as their policy from what I understand.

9MX

08-01-2010, 08:14

even some of the pnp personnel at camp crame, those manning the gates, wala din mags boga nila

Kaiser Soze

08-01-2010, 18:35

I noticed the same thing when I went to Westgate during the gun ban! The guard told me that it was their SOP, and that the mags were in the guard house...